Here's to you, Mr. Robinson

I wasn't at the game, but I took these pictures with my mind. As the rain poured down and washed out every game on the East Coast, I watched the Cincinnati Reds Pitching Club play the Chitown Chub$ on Jackie Robinson Day from the shelter of my room.

With the exception of Ken Griffey, Jr., who got a hit in the first inning, and Jeff Conine, who drove in the game's only run with the Reds' other hit, it was more of the same old same old for the Reds when it was their turn to use the wood.

They are content to make every opposing pitcher look like Cy Young, and they let Ted Lilly do it for the second time today, even allowing him to tie his career high with 10 strikeouts. The Reds then proceeded to strikeout a few more times against the Cubs' pen. David "Clueless" Ross struckout all three times he was up, and Freel, Hamilton, and Encarnacion each went down twice. After several years of having one of the top offenses in baseball, it's rather frustrating to see such miserably weak plate production.

Conversely, it is pretty cool to see good pitching day in and day out, at least when Eric Milton isn't pitching.

Kyle Lohse was pretty incredible today against the Chub$. I said it before, but I'll say it again - this will be a career year for him, the year he finally breaks out and becomes the pitcher people thought he could be. He had a career high 12 strikeouts and scattered four hits and a walk in eight innings. If this is the real Kyle Lohse, other teams better watch out!

Thanks to the pitching and despite the offense, the Reds have returned to first place in the NL Central and the Chub$ have dropped to their normal last place. The Deadbirds pooped out the Sausages today, winning 10-2 thanks in part to two homers by Prince Albert Poophols. Every single person wearing a uniform during that game had on the same number, which looked pretty bizarre.

It's only two weeks, and we were in the same position last year, but it still is quite nice to look at:

Cincinnati	7	5	.583	-
Milwaukee	6	5	.545	0.5
St. Louis	6	5	.545	0.5
Houston	4	6	.400	2.0
Pittsburgh	4	6	.400	2.0
Chi Cubs	4	7	.364	2.5